Here I am again at the Melbourne International Film Festival, scurrying between the Forum and Greater Union cinemas with the occasional foray up to the Kino or down to ACMI. A terrific way to spend winter in Melbourne. Here are some reflections on a few of the films I have enjoyed most (out of the eighteen I have seen so far).
Melancholia. A meditation on melancholy. The great existential question – what are we doing here? What is our place in the universe? Do we matter? Beautiful, and in some cases breathtaking images. The final scene will stay with me forever. And others – a horse slowly rippling to the ground, mother and child struggling knee deep through green grass, birds falling fro the sky, the great round white planet, Melancholia, looming over the earth as a great presence, shedding an eerie light over Kirsten Dunst lying naked in its light. A wonderful performance from Kirsten initially struggling against her depression, then deeply mired in it and finally revelling in it. Also terrific performances from Charlotte Gainsborough, fighting against rising panic, and Kiefer Sutherland, desperately clinging to ‘the science’. Tension slowly builds – in both parts of the film. At her high society wedding in the first part, Kirsten seems intent on destroying her chance of happiness and rejecting the overtures of those seeking to help her. And in the second part, as the three characters wait, isolated in the great chateau, watching the planet, wondering at its presence and what it means for their very existence. Very satisfying and, indeed, memorable.
El Bulli: Cooking in Progress. A series of vignettes: chefs packing up the kitchen and moving to the lab, cooking bits and pieces of different foodstuffs, sweet potato, veal cheek, mushroom varieties, in different ways, checking taste, colour, texture, proffering best bits to the boss and watching nervously for the verdict. Recording their experiments, creating lists, googling. As he says “creativity is hard work”. Trips to the market – trying to extract secrets from the fishmonger! Buying tiny quantities from fruit stalls. The film slowly reveals the theory and the practice. Ferran Adria is after something more than taste – an emotional experience for the diner. Brought about by look, taste, texture, surprise and a sense of excitement and fun. Back to the restaurant and training up all the new cooks, still experimenting, improving, refining. Service in the restaurant and in parallel, serving Ferran on his throne by the kitchen. He proffers immediate improvements, change the balance, more of this, make it smaller and writes up notes to take away. You see the pressure, then the moments of camaraderie, the jubilation when a dish works, forensic questioning of the waiters- anathema they think? What did they do? Did they know how to eat it? A great finale of photographs – artworks each one – of each dish, making you feel as though you’ve eaten at El Bulli!
Old Cats. Poignant portrayal of getting old and losing one’s grip! Very powerful,perhaps unsurprising as the star is a 92 year old actress. A simple story about a day in the life, a visit from a feckless daughter, recriminations and eventually a reconciliation which is surprisingly moving given the characters themselves are not especially sympathetic. I liked the girlfriend of the daughter best. She was the maid, in the director’s film of that name screened last year. A very different role.
The Eye of the Storm. Great performances by the three central characters (Charlotte Rampling, Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis) whose foibles and vulnerabilities remain relevant and moving. And really strong performances by all the supporting actors, including Alexandra Schepisi in her first role as the nurse seeking to entrap the wily Basil. A great looking film – with rich colours, evocative country landscapes – homestead, beach and the storm of the title, and great interiors. Just one mis-step I felt, in giving the local characters okker accents which I found off-putting. While faithful to the novel and to Patrick White’s contempt for the crassness of local political and social life, I thought this should have been handled differently. So a good film but not a great one.
The Guard. Brendan Gleeson is the rock on which this film rests – as he was in In Bruges. Despite his apparent disregard for the rules and procedures of Irish police work, you somehow know he is a man of integrity and the one you want to be with when the going gets tough – as it does. A bit of fun with a black FBI agent (Don Cheadle) and some philosophizing criminals, this is an enjoyable romp through the Irish countryside. Although at times the Irish accents defeat you.
Top Floor, Left Wing. The French like to send themselves up – their municipal leaders, heavy handed police response units, crass media and political correctness. Thus it is in this happy little farce. Similar to Skirt Day which was screened at MIFF a couple of years back. An accidental hostage situation arises in one of the high rise estates. Chaos ensues outside, local Mayor turns up, police unit armed to the teeth, full body armor and helmets, snipers posted all over the place, residents are evacuated and mill around complaining, a wedding is disrupted, media converge. Inside the flat a dopey son disposing of drugs, ashamed of his wimpy father, a repossession man tied up in the bathtub missing marriage counseling and his last chance at reconciliation with his wife. A negotiator is brought in – must be an Arab says the Mayor or we’ll be criticized. Conversations inside the flat and intelligence gathered outside reveal the truth about the father and his former role in Algiers, the bailiff finds common cause with his captors and provides advice, tension mounts, the residents get restless. Will there be a riot? What happens to the drugs? All good fun and highly entertaining.
Swerve. Australian film set in the Flinders Ranges. Spectacular scenery used well. A drug deal double cross, a car crash, a suitcase full of money, an unhappy blonde, a bloke passing through on his way to Broken Hill for a job. All the ingredients of a Raymond Chandler plot. And so it goes. Lots of twists and turns. Good cop, bad cop? A ruthless assassin piling up the bodies. Denouement on The Ghan as it speeds through the night like a silver bullet train. Immensely assured direction. Great performances all round. A couple of clunky scenes are forgiven. As it says in the title, lots of swerves on the way to a satisfactory ending.
Bobby Fisher Against The World. Recounts the story of the big chess championship in Iceland – a fight between the free world and the forces of evil. I remember the hoopla. Bobby’s is a sad story of a stunted childhood – immersing himself in chess from the time he was six. Not surprising that he went off the rails. Sad to see what became of him all the same. Interesting historic footage – of a more innocent time. Interviews with chess afficiandos. It shows the intense interest in the game and the build up of pressure – Bobby made this move and the world was stunned! People were standing in front of televisions in shop windows and watching. It was televised in Times Square. Chess! The twists and turns of Bobby’s life at the end are stranger than fiction. Iceland comes out of it well.
Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search For A Kool Place. I was interested in seeing these characters I have read such a lot about. All original footage just set out before you in the raw. Which is it’s strength and weakness. Amazingly innocent time. Interesting seeing the response to the bus when they get to New York, people looking like extras from the Mad Men set, looking on in awe, smiling, following them, no hostility. Same with their encounters with police along the way. Interesting to see Neal Cassidy – obviously crazy. I have read Carole Cassidy’s book. All that manic energy is there to see. Amazing. Also Jack Kerouac, who the bus people thought was a cranky old git! He does not seem to be enjoying the party. His time was over by now. The young people’s continued for a time. It all ended badly of course, but this film gives you a sense of how amazing it must have been at the start.
Terri. A very sweet film. Breaks the mould a bit. Terri is a fat lumbering kid, on the outer at school. Not surprising given he wears pyjamas (‘cos they’re comfortable). Is taken under the wing of the Vice-Principal along with some other misfits. They struggle along. There is no grand revelation or resolution of his troubles, but he takes a few faltering steps in the right direction. Very sweet.
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Well I wish I was there with you! Sounds great